Wichita eagle., 1887-08-21

t 1880. s.4s
r 1882. 5.67
1000 SUE
i0of -.'......... .lS,3t'
1897 lo,Oi.
| 1921. 81, D
The relative position of the principa
, cities OF the state Is shown by the following
table. according to the latest statistics a
hand:
Wlcnlta. 81, 7bt
LeavenwOrth. 81 Az
Topeka. ................... 29, S0(
Kansas City, Kas. .................. N,5O(
Atchlson Observation-Disclosures. % OO(
TOT OcoIG. lOON
1t will be seen that the increase of popu
lation in Wichita from the spring of 1886
to the spring of 1887 (for which time the
yearly census is taken under the state law
was at the rate of about 1000 month
During this same period the number OF
new buildings erected in Wichita-accord
ing to the official returns-was nineteen
hundred and sixty; and in the amount of
money expended In building, Wichita
stood tenth among all the cities of the
United States-New York and Chicago, of
course, leading the list.
During the current year the number OF
buildings In course of construction or under
contract is stated at three thousand one
hundred and fifty, and their aggregate
cost will exceed the amount expended last
year by perhaps two hundred per
cent; the buildings this year
being generally of more substantial char
acter than those erected last year. Two or
three years ago Wichita was raw, western
COMMUNICATIVE might be called one
story country town. The dwellings were
mainly cheap frame houses of thee or four
rooms each, and the business buildings
were one story wooden shanties with an
occasional two story rough brick or stone
front. Today the finest wholesale and re-
| tail business blocks in the state-fOur and
| five stories high-stand completed or are
In course of erection in every direction;
while costly and attractive priv ate resi-
dences are looming on eve.y hand. Dur
ing the last year several large educa
tional institutions have been located here
and the buildings for these are also going
up In the various suburbs. Thirty miles of
street railway afford transportation in all
directions, and electric lights blaze at
night over vastly scattered but wonder
fully active city.
Sedgwick county, of which Wichita Is
the county seat, is the wealthiest county in
the state, the assessed valuation for the
present tax year being SIS 67S, 116. The
next county in point of wealth is Shawnee
county which is rated at $12,S62. 977.
Wichita is located at the confluence of
the Arkansas river and smaller stream
called the Little Arkansas. Some of the
old settlers recall with special JUNCTION that
In the ancient Spanish maps Of this region
the spot where Wichita now stands is
marked "Gold Nine" However mistaken
these early geographers may have been, it
is certain that to many persons in later
generation, the place has proved veritable
mine of the most profitable sort.
The question is often asked what is there
to build up and sustain citv like Wichita?
VIVA are all the people going to do there?
Such questions suggest others in the same
line. What made Kansas City and Omaha
grow? And what keeps them up? Why
should not the state of Kansas have city?
Kansas is nearly twice the size of Pensyl
vania and Is one of the first-if not the
first-of agricultural states in the union
Wichita is a little to the south and east of
the center Of the state, and is surrounded
by some Of the finest farming land in the
west The same influences are building it
up that built up Kanses City, Omaha, and
other western trade centers.
Look over the map of this country from
the Atlantic coast to the Missouri river.
and about every $50 or 200 miles you find
a large city-a trade center. Why should
all this end at the Missouri river?
Wichita is $50 miles from Kansas City
about as far as the latter is from ST. Louis
As the demands of commerce and the
growth of population necessitated the up
building of Kansas City and Omaha, SO
the same influences, pushing further west
ward, seem to demand the up building of
trade centers further west.
The whole of southern and southwest
ern Kansas has been filling up with popu
lation In the last few years, and Wichita
is becoming the supply point for these vast
regions. Seven or eight rail
roads. including four trunk lines,
center here; and more are
building. By means of the new route just
opened through the Indian Territory and
Texas to Galveston, Wichita is now within
"a hours of the Gulf of Mexico and freight
from the Atlantic ports can now be landed
in Wichita cheaper, and four days quicker
than it is carried by the former all-rail
routes from the seaboaId Besides this,
vast coal and lumber regions are opened up
which were before inaccessible.
The result is that, In addition to the rap
idly developing wholesale business, manu-
features on large scale are now seeking
location in Wichita Iron works. boot and
shoe factories, spice mills, stone mills,
terra Gotta works, soap works. planning
mills, large artificial ice factory, pillow
works, cracker factory q fruit cannery,
a packing house, carriage factories, and
many other like institutions are now in &C.
tive operation or In course of construction
Stock yards are now being completed and
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
have been subscribed toward the establish
ment of watch factory. In addition to
this the Burton Stock Car Company has
just located an immense system of car shops
there which are expected TO employ up
wards of s.. 600 men.
These facts will, In large measure, &C
count for the extraordinary growth and
prosperity Wichita has enjoyed In the last
year and which she is now experiencing.
Sedgwick county receives from the state
this year six thousand one hundred and
eighty one dollars and thirty eight cents
g, 1s1. So as her proportion Of the ssste
school fund. The state board Of eCualizs-
ton cut down the assessment returns from
49,.